b 1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a hair treatment composition such as a perming composition, a hair dye composition, and the like, and, more particularly, to a hair treatment composition which can prevent damage to the hair and provide an excellent conditioning effect.
2. Description of the Background Art
Perming compositions, hair dye compositions, and the like contain an oxidizing agent, reducing agent, or dyeing agent depending on their purpose of use. These agents, however, cause a great deal of damage to the cuticle of the hair. This, in turn, damages and roughens hair, and produces split and cut hair.
In order to overcome this problem, Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 96749/1977 proposes a hair dye composition comprising an oxidizing agent and a specific type of quaternary amine compound, and Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 49340/1979 proposes a hair dye composition comprising a fatty acid, an alkaline agent, and a specific type of cationic polymer. Both compositions, however, could not provide a long-lasting satisfactory conditioning effect.
Since hair treatment compositions such as perming compositions and hair dye compositions contain as their essential components an oxidizing agent, reducing agent, dyeing agent, or the like which imparts strong irritation to the skin, running of the treatment compositions down from the hair and adherence to the skin must be avoided. For this reason various types of thickeners to be added to such a hair treatment agent have been proposed and studied. The addition of a large amount of oily components or surface active agents, however, results in deterioration in spreadability and feeling to the touch. If oily components are reduced in order to decrease the viscosity, the composition is fluidified and tends to run down, which means cumbersome handling.
In view of this situation, the inventors of the present invention have carried out extensive studies, and, as a result, have discovered that the above problems in conventional hair treatment compositions could be overcome by the addition of a branched-type quaternary ammonium salt and a higher alcohol having a branched ratio of 1-50%. Such findings have led to the completion of the present invention.